The Eagle Scout Award is the highest rank a Scout can achieve. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men. The title of Eagle Scout is held for life, thus giving rise to the phrase "Once an Eagle, always an Eagle".

Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit, service, and leadership. In addition to several other requirements, boys must plan and complete an Eagle Scout Service Project.

After a young man has earned the Eagle Rank but has not yet turned 18, he can continue to earn Merit Badges. For the first five additional badges, he can receive a Bronze Palm. For the first ten earned, he can receive a Gold Palm and a Silver Palm for an extra 15 merit badges above those required for Eagle. These can be earned continuously in sets of five additional badges, with a required three month active service between each palm. To download an Eagle Palm Application, please click here.

"Currently, all districts manage Eagle Scout processes in a consistent, though not identical, manner. This consistent Council process may be found in link provided below"

To ensure that the Eagle process be understood by all units, the Hudson Valley Council Youth Development Committee in conjunction with HVC professionals, reiterate the following points, and request these be followed by all districts, troops and scouts when submitting Eagle Scout applications:

All candidates should use the latest red/white/blue form that is downloadable from the HVC website, see link above.

All forms must have original signatures. Copies or faxed forms are not acceptable for processing.

Applications will not be accepted unless they are typed, or printed neatly in ink. The Statement of Life Ambition/Purpose (Requirement 6) must be stapled to the application to be considered complete. Incomplete forms will be returned to the scout for corrections.

No paperwork will be processed while you wait. Eagle applications will be processed one day a week, typically Fridays. No boards of review (BOR) are to be scheduled without the proper eagle application being reviewed and approved by the HVC to proceed.

All notices of certification of the Eagle application will be emailed to the Troop’s Committee Chair, Scoutmaster, the District Advancement Chair and the District Eagle Coordinator. The notices will be in the form of the HVC letter explaining the next steps and an approval to schedule the BOR.

The original red/white/blue application will be returned to the district by mail with a hard copy of the email letter of certification. The District Advancement Chair will be the designated recipient of this mailing. The district representatives may be found on the council web site (Advancement Representatives). The BOR is then permitted to be scheduled. This is the form that is to be duly signed by those conducting the BOR, assuming the candidate is being approved. It is then returned by the District Advancement chair, with the normal advancement form, also duly signed.

The troop is responsible for obtaining the letters of recommendation for the scout. The scout should not be the person requesting or receiving them. Each applicant should provide the names of at least 5 people on the application. The employer letter is the only optional one, dependent on the scout’s employment status. These letters should be brought to the eagle board of review by the troop, and not be in the possession of the scout.

For Eagle Palm Applications: There is an actual form that must be filled out, see link above. The scout must meet all of requirements as stated on the form. The completed form should be delivered to the Council office in the same manner as the Eagle Application. Once National BSA has certified the Palm application, a certification letter will be sent to the unit, which must be presented at the Scout Shop in order to purchase the Palm.

Questions may be directed to your District Youth Development Chair, District Eagle Coordinator, or the Council Youth Development Chair.

Congratulatory Letters for Eagle Scouts

Politicians, astronauts, celebrities, and other recognizable figures have been sending hand-signed letters to new Eagle Scouts for over 100 years.

The very first congratulatory letter was sent in 1912 when the first Eagle Scout, Arthur R. Eldred, received a note from James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive.

Today, parents and Scout leaders can request these scrapbook-worthy keepsakes from pretty much anyone with a mailbox.

After a boy completes his board of review, he’s officially an Eagle Scout. But most boys don’t have their Eagle court of honor until weeks or months later, so that’s your window for requesting and receiving letters. Presentation can be made during the court of honor.

Whom to ask for letters

City and county officials: Your mayor, city council officials, school board president, superintendent, parks and recreation director

Religious leaders

State officials: The governor, your area’s state legislators

Business leaders: CEOs and executives at major corporations based in your city

Anyone who means something to your Eagle Scout: Get creative! Does he have a favorite author, athlete, musician, or actor? Try to track down that person’s contact information. The letter may go unanswered, but it only costs you 45 cents to try.

Where to find addresses

Rather than reinventing the wheel and posting addresses here, use this link to USScouts.org from the U.S. Scouting Service Project.

For addresses not listed there, find the appropriate Web site and look for the “Contact Us” link — usually at the top of the page or at the very bottom. Some entities, such as NASA or the U.S. Army, allow you to submit request online.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project recommends including the Scout’s full name, troop number, council, and a short description of his Eagle Scout service project. For best results, address it to a specific person, not an organization.